


Days Like This

by quantumoddity



Series: Widomauk Modern AU [11]
Category: Critical Role (Web Series)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Alternate Universe - Urban Fantasy, Family Fluff, Hurt/Comfort, M/M, Mental Health Issues, Tooth-Rotting Fluff, caleb and Molly are dads
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-01-01
Updated: 2019-01-01
Packaged: 2019-10-02 09:54:25
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,304
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17262107
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/quantumoddity/pseuds/quantumoddity
Summary: When I'm bored I write self indulgent comfort fics with honest discussion of mental illness and supportive family members





	Days Like This

Caleb loved days like this.

Days cold enough that your nose prickled after being outside for more than five minutes. Days where every inhale made you aware of your lungs in your chest. Days where the city was alive and thriving, people going this way and that, in sheer defiance of the weather. The subway had been rammed, he and Molly had put the kids on their shoulders to keep them close.

Trinket was still on his, kicking his feet excitedly. As soon as he saw the museum rising above the buildings, with its rising columns and broad, classic façade, he crowed with delight, pointing eagerly.

“Papa! Almost there!” he yelped, bouncing, his little tail thumping excitedly between his shoulder blades.

“I know, little man,” Caleb winced a little, grinning, “Almost there, then we can see the dinosaurs.”

Taking their little ones to the museum was a favourite weekend activity. Trinket adored the huge dinosaurs and the big paintings; Una adored all the tiny insects, glittering in their cases. The plan was to let the kids run themselves ragged with delight, feed them full of sugar at the café, start the whole process over again in the afternoon and then carry two dozing toddlers home under their jackets, clutching a plastic dinosaur and a plush moth in tow.

A flawless plan. The perfect thing to feel like a family again after a whole week spend with Mollymauk working extra long days at the theatre for tech week and Caleb fielding a busy holiday week at his bookstore.

Sure, It was much busier than they’d anticipated but it was all for the good. Everything was going fine.

Until Mollymauk felt his chest clench in a vice as he realised his daughter’s hand was no longer in his.

He whirled, frantic, scanning the thick crowd. But of course, Una stood barely a foot off the ground, not counting her ears. She’d seemed tense ever since they’d left the subway, immediately odd seeing as she usually loved the dark and noise of the underground trains. Rather than stay on a father’s shoulders like her brother, she’d wriggled down to the ground at the first opportunity and seemed not to hear any of Molly’s attempts to spark a conversation.

And now she was gone.

“Fuck, fuck, fuck, fuck,” Molly whispered under his breath, plunging back the way he’d came, his blood hunter instincts flaring to life as he scanned for the much familiar scent of his little girl.

A few feet ahead, Caleb turned, not sure what was happening but getting the powerful sense that something was wrong.

“Papa?” Trinket cheeped, fretfully.

“I don’t know…” Caleb murmured, frozen in place as the tide of people washed around them.

Fortunately, as intense as the fear was, it was short lived. Molly’s bold red eyes found Una just a little ways away. Stood on her own, only her wide, terrified golden eyes visible under her large hood, she trembled alone, eyes flickering around.

As soon as she saw her daddy, relief flooded those eyes and she started towards him, her feet getting tangled in the long drape of her scarf in her haste, making her stumble. But when she did, Mollymauk’s arms were there to catch her, drawing her to his chest.

“Oh, honey, it’s okay, I’m here,” he gasps, trying to hide how frightened he’d been in the face of his daughter’s panic, “Everything’s fine…”

“Daddy…” Una gasps, her voice coming out a gasp, little claws digging into his arms like she was afraid he’d disappear and leave her alone again. The tears were obvious in her voice and it was barely a moment before they broke free and she began to cry.

Molly lifted her into his arms, “My poor girl, I’m so sorry, I had no idea I’d let go of you…”

Caleb and Trinket came up behind them, Caleb nearly white with anxiety, “Everything okay?”

Molly shot his husband a nod over the top of their daughter’s head, though it was clear something still wasn’t right.

“Daddy…” Una spluttered, her whole tiny body shaking, “I…I did a bad thing, I’m sorry…”

Molly frowned, confused, “Darling?”

The little goblin girl opened her fist with a little moan of despair, revealing a set of car keys, her other hand pointing to a drow woman stood unsuspectingly at a nearby bus stop, in a large overcoat that had very reachable pockets for a tiny goblin.

Molly understood immediately, sighing softly.

When quizzing Nott about what they could expect when raising their goblin daughter, one of the main things she’d warned them of, aside from her sharp teeth coming in, was her sticky fingers. It had never been too much of a problem, only a few lively instances of Caleb waking up at three in the morning to see Una crouched over the bedside table, a bare inch away from his face, filching his watch. She’d never actually stolen anything before.

“I’m so sorry,” she wailed, crying harder until her words were nearly indistinct, “I just…I just got scared, I…I needed something…something…”

Molly shushed her gently, stroking her tight cap of black curls, “Little lady, it’s okay. We’ll put this right.”

Smoothly, putting on what Caleb affectionately called his actor face, Molly approached the woman, “Excuse me? Sorry, I think you dropped these, my daughter picked them up…”

The drow blinked and smiled, holding out her hand to accept the keys from Una’s tiny hand, “Why thank you.”

Molly walked back to his husband, putting a hand on his arm.

“I think we need to change out plans for the day.”

 

Trinket’s disappointment at having to wait until the next week to see the dinosaurs was soon remedied by one of his Uncle Caduceus’ hot chocolates, the ones with a chocolate spoon and Oreo crumbs. Although he still attempted to order a ‘very grown up coffee like my papa’, earning a chuckle and a fond shake of the head from the firbolg.

The café was as homely as ever, the business of the day hadn’t touched it. The music was still softly emanating from the battered radio on the counter, the smell of coffee permeated the small space and relaxed all anxious hearts that came through the doors. Only a few of the tables were occupied, some couples sharing slices of cake, some individuals lost in books or newspapers.

The small family took their usual place on a set of sofas pushed into one corner, Caleb juggling drinks with Frumpkin around his neck, Molly sneaking chocolate chips from the cookies before they got to the table, Trinket and Una waiting for them on the cushions.

“Now, sweetling,” Caleb sat next to his daughter, “Let’s have a talk, _ja_?”

Molly hid his smile behind his mug, his smile at the irony of his taciturn husband having to say that, leaning back and feeding Trinket whipped cream from the end of his spoon.

“It’s totally okay that crowds made you scared, you know?” Caleb took her had, “I get the same thing. Lots of things make me scared actually and I used to be ashamed of it? Before I met daddy and realised it was much better to let people help me with my fears. People I trusted.”

Una’s ears flickered, watching her papa’s face as she nibbled the edge of a cookie.

“So if you ever feel like you did just then, if that ever happens again? You just have to tell us and we’ll help you through it. And that’s a promise.”

Una paused for a moment before holding out her free hand, pinkie finger jutting out. Caleb chuckled and hooked his own around it, solidifying his promise. As soon as he did, Una flew into his arms, hugging him tightly.

Caleb loved days like this.

**Author's Note:**

> Please consider leaving a comment! I'm on Tumblr, @mollymauk-teafleak


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